Combined starting and blow-off valve



(No Model.) 2 Shets-j-Sheet 1. v

VAUCLAIN.

COMBINED STARTING AND BLOW-OFF VALVE. No. 471,836. Patented Mar. 29, 1892.

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(N0 Modem 2 Sheets- C3114 '2.

S M. VAUULAIN. GOMBINED STARTING AND BLOW-OFF VALVE.

No. 471,836. Patented Mar; 29,1892.

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I t I /A/ M 1/ 1; if 3 i d j a! l Witnesses I 6y lulevitwrncys UNITED STATES PATENT I OFFICE.

SAMUEL M. VAUCLAIN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

COMBINED'STARTING AND BLOW-OFF VALVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 471,836, dated March 29, 1892. Application filed December 7, 189l. Serial 110414379. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL M. VAUCLAIN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improved Combined Starting and Cylinder Blow-OE Valves for Compound Eugines, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to combine the cylinder-cocks with the starting-valves of a compound engine, so that one set of levers and connections are dispensed with and the mechanism in the cab simplified, as fully described hereinafter.

I have illustrated my invention as applied to a locomotive having the high and the low pressure cylinders on each side; but it will be understood that my invention can be applied to other types of compound locomotivesand compound engines.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a sectional view of the high and the low pressure cylinders of a compound engine. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view on the line 1-2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a combined starting and cylinder valve casing, the valve being open. Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 3 with the valve moved atonehalf its stroke, and Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 with the valve closed.

Referring to Figs. 1. and 2, A is the highpressure cylinder, B is the low-pressure cylinder, a is the hi gh-pressure piston, and b the low-pressure piston. The admission of steam to the cylinders is controlled by the main valve, (partially shown in Fig. 2,) the construction shown being that described and claimed by me in prior United States patents, and therefore need not be described in detail, as the arrangement of these parts is immaterial to the proper carrying out of my invention.

In all locomotives the cylinders are provided with cylinder or blow-oif cocks to allow the steam to blow off the water of condensation that accumulates in thecylinders. These valves are usually connected to a lever in the cab of the locomotive. Before the locomotive is set in motion these cocks are opened and the first admission of steam to the cylinders will clear the cylinders of the water of condensation.

In the preferred form of compound locotive-engine a starting-valve is provided, this starting-Valve in many instances being conof parts'necessitated two independent leversin the cab to be operated by the engine-driver when. starting the engine, together with the throttle-lever and other mechanism.

The object of my invention, as stated above,

is to so combine the starting mechanism and cylinder-cock-controlling mechanism as to dispense with one set of levers and connections and have one set of valves for both purposes. In the presentinstance the valves are on a single rod and within one casing; but it will be understood that this special arrangement need not be adhered to.

The valve-casing D is preferably placed in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and has passages d d, communicating in the present instance through the medium of. pipes e 6 with the steam-inlet ports e e at each end of the high-pressure cylinder A. The casing is also provided with ports ff, communicating through pipes g g with both ends of the lowpressure cylinder B. The valve-casing D, as shown in Fig.3, has a cylindrical passage D common to the inlet-ports d d f f and also common to the blow-off passages '5 4." 2' which are arranged as shown in Fig. 3, and communicate with the atmosphere, and it is through these passages that the water of condensation is blown olf from the cylinders. In the cylindrical passage D is the valve E, having three pistons h h h arranged on the valve-stem 70, as shown clearly in the draw- 1ngs. able operating-lever in the cab of the locomotive. This lever travels against a suitably-notched segment, so that the enginedriver by moving the lever full over to the first notch will know that the valve is in the position shown in Fig. 3, and if he moves- Thevalve-stem is connected to a suit-v ICC phere, the two ports cl cl communicating-with the blow-cit passage '5, the port f communicating with the blow-olfpassage '11, and the, port f communicating with the blow-off-passage 71 as shown bythe arrows. It will be" noticed that the area of each port cl d is much greater than the blow-off passage t. Consequently live steam will pass from .one

endzof the higli pressure cylinder to the other, and, owing to the position of the main valve, of the engine,this lives-steam will pass to the;

opposite side of the low-pressurecylinder.

After the water of condensation has beenblown oif, if the engine-driver Wishes to work the :engine with both cylinders acting'as higha pressure .cylindershe moves the lever to the mid-position, throwingt-he valve .E to theposition shown in Fig. 4. The piston h of the 'valve'willelose the-port f andthe piston h will closethe-portf, cutting off the exhaust to the atmosphere through the blow-off pas- At thesametime the piston ih' will cover the blow-ofif passage 11, sothat while sages 4." d

high-pressure s'teamcanpass from one end of the high-pressure .cylinderto the other, asindicated by arrows in Fig. 4:, and thence to one side of the low-pressure cylinder described? above, the steam in its passage will not blow off the-atmosphere. Thu s'highepressure steam is :introduced into bothcylinders when the;

casing for both ends ofthe high-pressure cylinder, a blow-offpassage ttor one end. of the valve E is .in theposition shown in Fig. 4-.

hen the engine-driver wishes to-run the;

engine compounding-that is, after he has started the train or is ,on a level or-downq .gradeethe lever connectedto the valveJE-is thrown full over, and the valve assumes the position shown inFig. 5. The valve in thisposition still closes the ports 7 f .from thelow-pressure cylinder, and-the piston h closes the port d, cutting'off the communicationbetween the ports 01 and d of the high-pressure cylinder. The engine will then run compounding and the blow-oit passages will be closed until the valve is moved to the position shown in Fig. 3. It will thus be seen that bythis simple arrangement of parts one set of connecting-rods and lever mechanism is entirely dispensed with, thus reducing the parts to be manipulated by the en gins-driver of a compound locomotive.

I claim as my invention 1. The combinatiomin a compound locomotive-engine, of the high and low pressure cylinders, a valve-casing having ports communicating with each end of the high-pressure cylinder and ports communicating with each end of thelow-pr'essure cylinder, blowoff passages in said casing communicating with the atmosphere, with a valve controlling theexhaust from the several ports through the blow-off passages and controlling the passageof steamthrom one end of the cylinder to the other, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the high and low pressure cylinders, a valve-casing having ports communicating with each endof .eachcylinder, blow-oft passages in said casing, avalve,

mechanisinfor operating said valve, :the -pistonson said valve being so arrangedrthaton one' moveinent the ports willbecutoft from the blow-oft passages while :the two .ends

of :the high-pressurecylinder are stil-lin communication, and son ,a'further movement of thevalve thejcommunication between the two ends of the highpressurecylinder:will be cut v01f vand the .blOWeOff passages remain-closed, .substantiall-ytas described.

3. The combination of the high ,and low pressure cylinders, a valve=casing d), having at each end ports f f ,one' portcomm-unicat- 'ing with oneendof the lowrpressurecylinder and the other port communicating with the other end of the lowpressure cylinder, :ports at cl, cent-rally situated in the valvecasing,;the

.port (1 communicatiug'wit-h one end of the high-pressure cylinderand :the port d"-con1 municatingwiththe opposite end of thehighpressure cylinder, a blow-oft passage z inzthe low-pressure cylinder, a blow-off passage 2' for .the opposite end of thelow-pressure cylinder, and a valveadapted to saidcasing, having pistons 71. h hithe piston hcontrolling the exhaust from the port f, the piston h .con,trolling the exhaust .to the atmosphere from the twoports d d,and alsocontrolling the passage of steam from oneof said portsgto the 0ther,with mechanism for operatingthe valve, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof 'I have signed ,my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SAMUEL M. VAUOLAIN. Witnesses:

FRANK H. MASSEY, KENNErHRUsHToN.

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